England choose to bowl first

Getty ImagesEngland captain Alastair Cook won the toss and chose to bowl in the second Test against India at Lord's. Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images

London - England captain Alastair Cook won the toss and chose to bowl in the second Test against India at Lord's on Tuesday.

Both sides named unchanged teams from those that drew the first test at Nottingham, with England once again choosing not to select a specialist spinner after Simon Kerrigan was called into the squad for the second match.

England will be looking to take advantage of a green-tinged pitch, a welcome change from the strip used during the first match that came under fierce criticism for its placid nature.

“We think there might be a bit in it for the bowlers early on, with all that grass, so we're pleased to bowl first,” Cook said at the toss.

“We looked at our squad but it would have been a tough call to leave anybody out after the way they played at Trent Bridge.”

Tensions between the sides remain high following the first Test, following accusations England paceman James Anderson “abused and pushed” spinner Ravindra Jadeja.

Both players face International Cricket Council misconduct charges.

“I'm not worried about James Anderson - he wants his cricket to do the talking,” Cook added.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he would have chosen to bowl had he called correctly.

“We would have bowled first because the base of the wicket looks soft, which means it will have something in it for the quick bowlers early on. It looks like a good wicket though and the grass will hold it together.”

Comment Guidelines

Has a comment offended you? Hover your mouse over the comment and wait until a small triangle appears on the right-hand side. Click triangle () and select "Flag as inappropriate". Our moderators will take action if need be.

Verified email addresses: All users on Independent Media news sites are now required to have a verified email address before being allowed to comment on articles. You are only required to verify your email address once to have full access to commenting on articles. For more information please read our comment guidelines